Warmth
by The Goliath Beetle
Summary: Kakashi needs a mother. Enter Kushina. (A collection of one-shots. Currently accepting prompts. Mentions of KakaRin.)
1. Tiny Little Tough Guy

Warmth

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**A/N: Been meaning to write this for ages. It's set before Kakashi meets Obito and Rin. It's short because I'm coming up with it on the spot, but I hope you like it!**

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Even in Konoha, a bloodied seven-year-old is an unusual sight. Sure, it's a ninja village, and sure, there's a war. Shinobi kids are getting slaughtered left, right and center. It's not uncommon to see eleven and twelve-year-olds with limbs sprouting blood or the occasional missing finger.

But this boy is seven. It's a funny number in itself. Add to the fact that the child in question is sulky, humourless, prodigal Kakashi Hatake, and it's actually no surprise to see him with a deep gash down his shoulder. His clothes are dripping red, his silvery hair is a muddy, sweaty mess, and his new accessory, the mask, is slightly torn. Hmm. Must have been a difficult mission.

Still, he walks resolutely, arms to his side, eyes emotionless. If he were ten years older, this would look like some sort of hero's march, but because this child is, well, a child, it looks mildly horrifying. His lemon-haired sensei says, "Let's first get you to the hospital. We'll report to the Hokage later, alright?"

"It's _fine, _sensei," Kakashi says for the umpteenth time. "There is no need to delay a meeting with the Hokage-sama." Pause. "Besides," Konoha's youngest chunin in three decades adds, "It was an important mission. Hokage-sama must be expecting results immediately."

"It's nothing that can't wait fifteen minutes," Minato-sensei says. His argument is not convincing, however, because he knows Kakashi is right. All throughout the mission, Minato had been stating its importance, its strategic brilliance, how it would give Konoha an edge in the years to come. He only shut up when Kakashi put himself in deliberate danger to complete the aforementioned mission. By the looks of things, his young student had managed to injure a vein. The dark red blood that oozed from the wound was the big giveaway.

Kakashi looks at his teacher imploringly. "We both know that fixing this injury will take more than fifteen minutes. Please, sensei, be reasonable."

"Alright," Minato sighs. "How about I go to the Hokage and you go to the hospital?" But one glance at his infuriating young student makes him change his mind. Kakashi is stubborn. He's determined to prove himself after his father's disastrous mission. While Sakumo is sitting at home drinking his life and his sanity away, Kakashi is working double-time to bring honour back to the family name. It's not healthy for a child his age to be doing so much strenuous work, but Kakashi is not one to listen. Besides, Minato knows that under the boy's tough, emotionless façade, Kakashi really is scared of people ostracising him. It's been happening a _lot _lately. He's not going to voluntarily walk into a shinobi hospital where people can glare at him and call him a traitor's son.

Just then, Minato's attention is stolen by the beautiful redhead that walks up to him.

"Hi," Kushina says. She's got a shopping bag in her hands. She must have been in the area when they'd arrived. Conscious of Kakashi's presence, she lightly pecks Minato's sweaty, scruffy cheek, before turning to the Hatake.

Kakashi has his eyes averted from the display of romance. When Kushina calls his name, he glances up, nods and looks to his feet.

"You're hurt. Badly," she mutters. Glaring at her fiancé, she snaps, "Minato, I hope you're taking him to the hospital. He'll bleed to death out here."

"It's _fine, _Kushina-san!" Kakashi cried. He keeps an excellent poker-face, especially when in his vehemence to emphasize his point, he jerks his body slightly and that sends shooting pain down his shoulder. Apparently, this performance doesn't quite impress the jinchuriki of the Nine Tails. She looks certifiably cross. Everyone knows not to antagonise her when she has that expression on her face. Wisely, Kakashi averts his eyes.

Now, Minato speaks up. "I was just telling him…" his voice trails away. "He doesn't want to go. He's making excuses. I was just—" and before he can finish his sentence, Kushina takes hold of the little Hatake's good arm.

"You," she says angrily, "We're going to the hospital. Now. Minato, you…you do what you want. Bye." And then she turns and walks, Kakashi in tow.

There's no way Kakashi's going to argue with Kushina Uzumaki. He's not that stupid. He's all too aware of how his sensei is scared to death of her. Anyone in their right minds would tread with caution.

Everyone in the reception falls silent as they enter the hospital. There aren't a lot of injured people all around, and only a couple of medic-nins, and as soon as Kakashi sets foot inside the place, he can feel everyone freeze. There is a palpable coldness in the air as Kushina marches up to the closest nurse she can find.

"He'll need treatment immediately," she barks.

The nurse looks at her and then at Kakashi Hatake before simply saying, "Please sit. Someone will attend to you shortly." Then, with the sensitivity of an ice cube, she stalks off.

Kakashi rolls his eyes. Though he'd never admit it, he's a bit scared. All his life, he'd been the celebrated son of Sakumo Hatake. An adorable child and yet a prodigy unlike Konoha had ever seen. Now he's been reduced to the scummy little offspring of a dirty traitor. He isn't used to it. He doesn't know what to do. It makes him feel self-conscious. That's why he's taken to wearing a mask. He doesn't want to be recognised by his father's crimes.

Funny, but Kakashi almost sees something flash in Kushina-san's eyes. She's deeply, deeply irritated. Kakashi's palm is cold and he looks clammy and grey. Naturally, prolonged blood loss would do that to a person. And for a child so young…

"Look here, you," Kushina shouts, "You know just as well as I do that Kakashi's injury is serious. He needs medical attention _now. _ So don't give me that rubbish!" That, along with a (very) long string of expletives and Kakashi finds his arm healed and in a sling. With a few strips of medicines, he's told to go home and rest.

Kushina interprets the word 'home' as her's and Minato's little apartment, not Kakashi's large, quiet, sake-stinking mansion. She is quick to tuck Kakashi into bed (he doesn't protest because he's feeling nauseous from losing so much blood; also, Kushina is scary).

She makes him wear a change of clothes. Since Sakumo had become unstable, Minato had made a habit of keeping a few of Kakashi's possessions at home, in case Kakashi needed a place to stay. The young Hatake had never taken up the offer until now.

Kakashi is eating some soupy ramen when suddenly Kushina places a hand on the bed. He looks up.

"You know," she says simply, "You don't have to act so tough. It's okay. People still want to take care of you."

He blinks at her.

"I know they can be cruel," she continues. "I was teased all the time when I was in the Academy. But it's important to find people who love you for who you are."

Kakashi blinks some more. "Okay…" he says uncertainly.

Kushina suddenly smiles. "Finish your food and go to sleep." She kisses him lightly on the forehead—a gesture that takes him by surprise—and leaves the room, saying, "I'll be just outside if you need me."

Kakashi finds the whole experience very surreal.

Then he notices how the room is nice, toasty and warm.

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**A/N: I might actually make this into a one-shot collection, depending on the kind of reviews I get. Thanks for reading. Tell me what you think! **


	2. Vegetables are Vital

**A/N: Thank you for all those positive reviews! I wasn't expecting so many—or any at all, considering my record in the Naruto fandom xD. As you can see, I have decided to continue with this fic as a collection of one-shots. Before I begin, I'd like to get some things out of the way. **

**NUMBER ONE: This is a random collection of one-shots revolving around the relationship between Kakashi and Kushina. You shall find other members of Kakashi's childhood, like Minato, Rin, Obito and the others, but it shall mainly focus on Kushina stepping in as a sort of surrogate mother for Kakashi. This is a situation I've imagined for a while now. Kakashi idolised Minato, and Kushina was there for a large extent of Minato's life. It only makes sense that she and Kakashi had some form of relationship. **

**NUMBER TWO: There is no defined order. I'm going to keep jumping through the timeline. Treat each one-shot as an individual piece and not as a chapter or a continuation of some sort. **

**NUMBER THREE: I shall use past tense and present tense variably with each one-shot. As stated in point 3, these are individual one-shots just compiled together. So chapter 1 was present tense, but chapter 2 could be past tense. It doesn't matter. **

**NUMBER FOUR: There will be no set target or goal. I'll keep writing this as long as the plot bunny exists. **

**NUMBER FIVE:Most importantly, I can't do it with you guys! I'm relying on my awesome readers for prompts or ideas. **

**Thank you for your interest in this fic. Let us begin! **

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What in the world were those stinky, smelly things? They looked soggy, unappetizing and tasted a whole lot worse. But there they were, sitting there imploringly on the plate. Kakashi made a face. He was only five-years-old. What five-year-old _liked_ vegetables?

At this age, Kakashi was already a genin. A relatively new one. Hell, this had only been his third week as an Academy graduate, but so far, he was liking it. His yolk-haired sensei was nice enough, and definitely very powerful. Kakashi had heard many things from his father about Konoha's Yellow Flash, and the child was excited to have the man all to himself. No teammates. Kakashi was just too young and his older comrades would treat him so. It would be bad for his development. That was the logic behind bending the rules and training him solo.

His father knew Jiraya-sama, and Minato-sensei was Jiraya-sama's student, so his father knew the Yellow Flash personally. That's why his father didn't mind when Kakashi sometimes went over to sensei's house after training for a nice lunch.

Usually, lunch was ramen. Kushina-san, Minato-sensei's—_hehe, girlfriend—_loved ramen and knew how to make it really well. He had heard that she was an exceptional shinobi herself. Well, she had the temper of one. Anyway, today, she placed a suspicious assortment of food on the table.

"I was experimenting with this new recipe," she explained cheerfully. Some sort of vegetable thing. Kakashi was too put off by it. Kushina-san served him first, then sensei and then herself, all the while chatting about the antics of the genin squad she was in charge of.

Kakashi listened with not a trace of interest. He couldn't help but think that they were nothing more than a bunch of losers who couldn't quite throw a kunai straight. His attention increased when Minato mentioned a new jutsu Kakashi had learnt and how easily the little Hatake had mastered it. Kushina-san grinned at him and ruffled his silver hair in a way that embarrassed him.

A handful of minutes passed like that, like uncooked rice slipping out of a palm. Kakashi listened to the conversation with interest, added his input, commented upon the state of affairs of the shinobi world—something he knew better than most jonin—and then he found Kushina-san giving him a look.

"'Kashi-chan, you haven't touched your food."

Kakashi suddenly felt the urge to escape. He bit his uncovered lip. (He wasn't wearing a mask—he wouldn't do that until much later, not until his father's disastrous mission.) Slowly, he said, "I'm not hungry."

"Why?" Kushina asked, narrowing her eyes. Beside her, Minato gave his student a look of warning.

"…I ate a heavy breakfast…" Kakashi felt like he was physically shrinking under her withering glare. She wasn't buying a single word he was speaking and the little Hatake knew it.

"Kakashi," she said coldly, "_Eat your vegetables_."

Five-year-old Kakashi Hatake, whose skin was blanched white with fear by now, sat up in attention and said a muffled, "Hai, Kushina-san!" before stabbing a tomato with his chopsticks and shoving it down his throat.

The next day, a new kind of dish was placed on the table.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, staring at the bowl of soup in front of it. There was something mushy floating in it. (Kakashi was reminded of dead rats, for some reason.)

"Miso soup with eggplant," Kushina replied.

"I…" the Hatake swallowed slowly. "I don't like eggplants."

"_EAT. YOUR. VEGETABLES!_"

Kakashi jumped three feet into the air, Minato muttered a soft, "Oh dear!" and Kushina's hair flew in nine separate bunches like the Kyuubi's tails.

Sufficiently traumatised, the five-year-old drank his miso soup in one gulp. Then he realised that made this way, eggplants were delicious.

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**A/N: What do you think? I know it's short…not even 1000 words! I'll try to do better next time.**

**Just a reminder: PROMPTS, PEOPLE! I NEED PROMPTS! **

**Thanks for reading. Please review! :D **


	3. Why the Kyuubi has Nine Tails

**A/N: What **_**incredible **_**prompts. You guys spoil me! Thanks to you, I have such awesome ideas and motivation for this fic. I'll try to write as many prompts as I can over the next few days, but if I miss one, I apologise. Also, thank you SO much for the wonderful reviews. It makes me feel great. **

**In this chapter, I shall be using the prompt given to me by isabelle habenero : **_"__a miserable Kakashi comes back from his first failed mission (or one that he really lacked in)"_

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Damn, it was cold. Like, seriously. Kushina could feel the cuticles of her fingers and the roots of her hair with uncomfortable clarity. The chill seemed to seep into her. No, not _seep_. It felt more like the tip of a needle sliding softly into her body. She shivered as she walked down Konoha's streets.

The night was an extraordinarily normal one. Sure, there was the quiet, haunting freeze in the air—like kissing a dead lover's blue lips—but apart from that, nothing out of the ordinary. It was dark, it was starry, there was a breeze. Nothing more, nothing less.

She was starting to worry. It had been hours since Kakashi had come back from that mission. He'd returned to an empty house that he no longer called home. Sakumo had been dead for five months. Kakashi was eight years old.

Minato had told her about the utter travesty that had been their last mission. Minato and his student had split up. Kakashi had been told to infiltrate the enemy's camp from behind while Minato created a diversion. However, the little Hatake had made a critical error in judgment and had been captured. On realising this, Minato had been forced to rescue him. Somewhere in all that chaos, the scrolls they were supposed to steal had vanished and they had failed the task.

She could only imagine how terrible Kakashi was feeling right now. She knew what it was like to fail. Kushina was no prodigy. She was good at what she did, but that was because of sheer hard work. There were countless missions she had compromised because of her impatience and irrational behaviour. Of course, she had been a genin then. Kakashi had become a chunin at the age of six. He shouldn't have made such basic mistakes.

But mistakes _happened. _Nobody sat there and planned them! There was no such thing as perfection. You could be near perfect, but not completely flawless. And Kakashi was just that. Not to mention, he was a lonely, depressed _child _fighting an adults' war. A war that had absolutely nothing to do with him. He was just a soldier. A tiny soldier that barely reached Minato's waist.

On returning, Kakashi had locked himself at home and refused to answer the door. Minato had gone to check on him several times with no avail. Now, it was Kushina's turn. She could remember her fiance's face. _"You have a way with him. Can you please get him to talk to me? I don't blame him. He needs to know that." _

She shook her head and hugged herself a little bit tighter as she stood before the desolate Hatake estate. It rose up from the ground like a palace. A huge courtyard and an unkept garden. There was a time this place had been a cheerful haven. Now it looked like a ghost house. Weeds were sucking the life out of the plants. There was a lingering taste of dust in the air.

Kushina noticed a light from one of the windows. She entered the place, mindful not to step on any vegetation. The cobbled pathway seemed to sigh with melancholy under her. Nobody really came here anymore. No-one except Kakashi.

"'Kashi-chan?" she called gently, knocking on the door. "It's me. Open up."

No answer. Kushina could sense his chakra. It was pouring out of the window like a bucket being emptied or a waterfall gushing its life away. Kakashi was doing nothing to conceal it.

"Kakashi," she said firmly, "I know you're in there. Stop being such a brat and open the door."

She winced. She hadn't meant to sound so harsh. Controlling her slight irritation, she knocked on the door once again. This time, she was going to try a different tactic. "Kakashi, I need you to come outside. There's another mission you need to go on. Minato-sensei is already at the Hokage Tower. They're all waiting for you."

The atmosphere seemed to tighten for a minute. There seemed to be a noticeable twitch in Kakashi's chakra. Kushina bit her bottom lip. Like a child releasing a kept breath, the tension eased.

From behind the door, she could hear the voice of a little boy.

"How stupid do you think I am, Kushina-san?"

"What sort of question is that?" the redhead jinchuriki replied.

"You just want to shower me with pity and affection because you feel bad for me." Kakashi paused. "I'm just a stupid screw-up, aren't I? A traitor's son who can't do anything right. You don't need to try and make me feel better. I don't need your sympathy."

Kushina frowned slightly. "Mind the way you talk, brat." She chided herself the second the words slipped out. She could feel his chakra waver at her tone and mentally cursed herself. _Damn, can't you just be patient for once?_ In a more sedate voice, she added, "Look, Kakashi, whether you feel sorry for yourself or not is beside the point. You need to come outside. There's a mission you need to go on. Sitting in there and sulking won't solve anything."

"You're lying," Kakashi replied coldly. "There's no mission."

_Shrewd little monkey, _Kushina thought to herself. "Either you open this door, or I'm going to break it down. Your choice."

"Break it down," Kakashi dared. "Break the house down. I don't care. The traitor used to live here. Destroy every trace of this place. I'd be grateful."

Kushina said a bad word. "Kakashi, that's your _father._ He tried to save his teammates. Wouldn't you do that? Wouldn't you save your friends if they were in danger?"

Kakashi's laugh was stark and barren, like tundra or a bright sheet of paper. "What friends?" He paused. "No. I wouldn't save them. I wouldn't fail the mission. The village is more important. Shinobi are merely tools. It doesn't matter whether we live or die, it doesn't matter. My feelings right now are irrelevant. What's important is that I failed my mission."

"You don't believe that."

"I do."

"Then…" Kushina's voice broke off. "Then I'm really sorry for you." She closed her eyes as she said it. What was this conversation coming to? She was supposed to be cheering Kakashi up, right? Right?

It was right then that Kushina's eyes snapped open with a new sort of fire.

"Kakashi, wait," she said suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Do you know why the Kyuubi has nine tails?"

There was a pause at the other end of the door. Kushina could sense the confusion in his chakra. Finally, an impatient Kakashi replied, "The Nine-Tails is a creature rumoured to be—" and before the Hatake could finish, the jinchuriki interrupted him.

"No. That's not it."

"Then what is the answer?" Kakashi replied, his voice frosty.

"If one tail gets chipped off, there are eight others to fight in its place. If two get chipped off, there are seven others to do the fighting. You see? Whenever a tail gets cut off, its friends defend it and protect it and make it feel better again." By now, Kushina was rambling. "That's why the Kyuubi has nine tails. And that's why it's so powerful. The more tails you have, the stronger you are. Same thing goes with one's precious people."

There was a stony silence on the other side of the door.

"Kakashi?"

"Kushina-san," the Hatake finally replied, his tone coated with so much exaggeration that he almost sounded like an irate grandfather, "How in the world does anyone cut off one of the Kyuubi's nine tails?"

"With a giant pair of scissors, silly," Kushina laughed.

"Kushina-san, go away."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I'm going to come back in an hour. If you're still being a little snot, I'm going to break the door down and drag you out. Understood?"

There was no reply.

Twenty minutes after Kushina reached home, there was a knock on the door.

Minato opened it.

His eyes widened with joy as he cried, "Kakashi!"

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**A/N: Longer, more descriptive. I hope you liked it. I have some ideas that haven't been given to me as prompts, so I'll be writing those as well. Thank you for reading. Please review!**

**And if you still have some prompts to give me, I will be most delighted. I'll try to write as many as I can. **

**Until the next chapter!**


	4. Tiny Little Tough Guy - Part II

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I've not been well. This chapter/one-shot has been requested by YamiB1999: "**_could you possibly add another chapter related to the first one? Perhaps the next day?"_

**So, here's Part II to **_**Tiny Little Tough Guy. **_

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Kushina's not sure why she's awake. All she knows that she's up and it's too early to be up right now. It's barely even dawn yet. Minato is asleep—fast asleep. The poor man is utterly exhausted from his mission and for once, he's letting himself relax. Kushina's still groggy and feeling very stupid, like one feels when they've just awoken. She's still not sure what to make of it.

She yawns and turns on her side, curling up to her finance and putting her head on his chest. Whatever. She's just going back to sleep. It's too early to be morning just yet. Minato is warm. When she nears him, she feels his unconscious hand running through her long red hair. She sighs. This is perfect. It couldn't be better.

And just as she's dozing off again, she finds herself waking up. What the hell? Not fair! There's some sort of disturbance in the atmosphere around her and she can't quite name it. It's chakra. Weird.

Pushing herself up, she stretches and yawns again. She's too sleepy for this…Kushina rubs her eyes, trying to wake up, as she forces herself out of bed. She just can't sleep. Not with that odd, fluctuating chakra. It worries her, because she knows Kakashi's injured. Now that she's awake, she might as well check on him.

She crosses the hallway to the closed door of the spare room, becoming more and more aware of the strain in the chakra. It's not fluid and consistent as she'd want it to be. In fact, it feels like torn cloth, coming out in rips and holes.

When she opens the door, she can't quite figure out how to react. For a second, she just stands there and watches.

"Thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven," Kakashi grunts and rasps. The idiot is doing _push-ups. _He's got one arm in a sling, is blanched and pale, and _he's training. _

"Kakashi…" Kushina says, part weary and part disbelieving.

He pauses, raises his head and glances at her before going back to, "Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty…"

She rubs her eyes again. "Kakashi, go back to bed."

"I need to do at least a hundred, Kushina-san," he explained, his voice tired. "I can't slack off. This is my usual time."

"You're hurt," she says with a sigh. "You're supposed to be _resting._"

"If I keep resting, I'll lose my edge. Forty-three, forty-four—" and then he suddenly gasps before falling face-first to the floor.

"Kakashi!" Kushina cries as she runs to him. He's clammy and shivering, his eyes shifting in and out of focus. She puts him onto his back and gently slaps his cheek. "Kakashi, can you hear me? Kakashi!"

"Mmh…" the seven-year-old groans, blinking. He responds to her touch by leaning into it. "Your hands are cold and nice, Kushina-san…"

"That's because you have a fever," she replies tiredly. She knows that Kakashi is delirious. There's no way he would have commented upon the temperature of her palms otherwise. Lifting him up gingerly, she tucks him back into bed. "I'm going to call Tsunade-sama," she tells him.

She calls her summon. Aptly, it's a tiny red fox called Suki. She looks up at Kushina and says, "What can I do for you, _sista_?"

"Get Tsunade-sama here, will you? I'd take Kakashi to the hospital but they don't do a good job with him. He's got a fever, means he has an infection. Clearly, they hadn't healed him properly." Darkly, she adds, "Him being Sakumo's son and everything."

Suki gives Kakashi a sideways glance. "He doesn't look too good. I'll go right away!" And then she jumps out of the window and scampers down the street. Outside, Kushina can see the sky turn pink.

She sits beside Kakashi and runs a hand through his sweaty hair. His breathing is laboured and his skin is really warm. But he's conscious now, and that's a good sign.

"Did you really have to train like that?" she tells him, her annoyance coming through in her tone. "Taking it easy for a day or two is a good thing, you know. Especially when you're not well."

"I have to train," Kakashi insists weakly. "I have to be strong. My father was weak, and that's why he failed. I can't let that happen to me."

Kushina rolled her eyes. "Yes, Kakashi, you're _so strong _right now! Ooh, you're giving me chills!"

"Ha," Kakashi replies, unable to think of a better response.

Kushina smiles to herself. He's such an idiot. But she likes to look after him. Kushina had always doubted her abilities as a care-giver, but she really hopes she's doing right by Kakashi. He deserves and needs someone to love him.

"Tsunade-sama should be here soon," she mutters, but Kakashi is already asleep. Kushina yawns and lies down next to him.

When Tsunade does arrive, she sees a tiny Kakashi cuddled up to the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails and smiles to herself. Then, because they have the nerve to go to sleep after waking her up from a hangover-induced, slumber, she breaks down a near-by wall and starts shouting.

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**A/N: Any more prompts? :D Thanks for reading! Please review! **


	5. Stream of Consciousness

**A/N: First off, thank you so very much for those amazing reviews. I'm really glad that you like this fic so far, and seeing such long, lovely reviews is amazing motivation for anyone. Thanks so much for taking the time out to write them. It means a lot. **

**Oh, and **_**BY THE WAY, DID YOU WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE KAKASHI ANBU CHAPTER? **_**I cannot stop fangirling over it! It's everything a Kakashi-crazed person wants, and it makes me think KakaRin was probably closer to canon than originally thought! (That's probably my interpretation, though :P ) **

**Anyway, to work!**

**I received an interesting prompt for this chapter by ****Namae-desu: **_"could try writing a chapter wherein Kushina tries helping out Kakashi as he tries to deal with the gigantic empty Hatake-estate after Sakumo's suicide?__" _**Namae-desu has also written such a wonderful review. Because they have reviewed anonymously, I would like to thank them for it here. It's very sweet of you to say what you did. It made my day :) **

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The silences are long and hollow, like a tunnel. Kakashi is so tired.

He's tired of being the adult. He's tired of being hated. He's tired of being lonely and tired of pretending not to care. He _loved _his father and he was _angry _at his father. He still is. But that fury is so exhausting. There are some days where he just can't stop it from sucking the very energy out of him.

Sakumo's funeral is an inconspicuous affair. Because his father had committed suicide, he is buried in a civilian graveyard and his name is not engraved onto the memorial stone. Kakashi stands in the rain quietly, his hands balled and to his sides, his tiny body very stiff. Jiraya-sama, the Third Hokage, Minato-sensei and Kushina-san are the only others. He knows that their presence—the Third's in particular—keeps the mob away. Kakashi knows that they will try to desecrate Sakumo's grave.

_And let them, _Kakashi thinks. _He deserves nothing more. _

Minato-sensei puts his hand on Kakashi's shoulder, but the only Hatake doesn't acknowledge it. As far as Kakashi is aware, there are no tears slipping down his masked face. He's just standing there, exhausted but furious.

When the service is over, Kakashi simply turns and walks away without even a passing word. He doesn't remember placing any flowers over the grave, but he doesn't care. He can feel the Third's hard stare and Jiraya-sama's eyes becoming sad. Minato-sensei is about to run up to him—Kakashi knows that—but Kushina-san stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

Kakashi increases his pace a little. He doesn't want to talk to her. He feels like vacuum. Maybe he really is. All he really wants to do is walk around listlessly in the pouring rain, forever. He can't bear the thought of going back home.

_Home. _

He used to look upon it fondly. It felt alive. Sakumo, himself and their large mansion used to make the perfect family. Now 'home' is long and hollow, like the silences that fill it. Those loud, loud silences.

In all, Kakashi walks around the village three times.

Nobody is around. Somewhere in the sky, thunder and lightning wage war. But all Kakashi remembers is a clear day where the sunlight bursts through the windows and everything is bright and warm and colourful.

"_Now, Kakashi," _says Sakumo, _"I want you to hold your kunai very carefully, yes, that's correct, and try to throw it at me. Aim for my chest. Go on." _

"_But you'll get hurt!" _Kakashi cries, scandalised.

Sakumo laughs. _"It'll take more than a three-year-old to hurt the White Fang, you know." _His smile softens. _"Go on, Kakashi. You can do it. I believe in you." _

The rain is seeping into Kakashi's skin, making him freeze. There was a time when this would have worried his father. But now…Kakashi still finds it difficult to think of his father in the past tense. He hadn't realised what an enormous difference it makes. _Sakumo Hatake lives. Sakumo Hatake HAD lived. _

Oh, but when he had lived…

"_Would you like _to go _out for some _ramen, _Kakashi? It's a nice night." _

"YES! _Rameeeeeen! I _want _ramen!" _

"_Or how _about _sushi?_"

"…_Why not both, _tou-san_?"_

Sakumo _laughs. "It doesn't _work _that way, 'Kashi-chan!" _

It is cold when the past and the present collide in the rain. Kakashi is finding it difficult to distinguish between a memory and the world as it is now. Things keep flickering in and out, the focus of things keeps getting sharper before fading away. He doesn't realise it at first. The rain pounds down, the rain pounds down.

Kakashi can see Sakumo's tired body, sweaty and stinking of blood from his last mission. He's just lying on the bed, snoring away. Kakashi hasn't seen his father in weeks. He has missed the man's presence. It's late at night, and he knows he should be asleep, but the child just can't settle down.

Finally, he crawls onto Sakumo's futon, cuddles up to his father and closes his eyes.

…_Suddenly the past has become the present and Kakashi can't tell the difference between sunlight and rain, warmth and cold, life and death, up and down—memoriesmemoriesmemoriesmemories—taking over—Kakashi can't breathe, no air—it hurts so much—Tou-san, why did you die? Why did you die? Why did you leave me?—come back, tou-san, come back, come back to me—_

And someone is embracing him.

A soft palm traces circles on his back over and over and over and over again and he just keeps crying because that is all he knows. He feels like the loneliness might actually kill him. The pain hurts physically. Like a claw crushing his neck—or is that just the burning feeling in his throat because of the tears?

"Please don't leave me alone, Kushina-san," he begs. "Please don't go away. I can't stay alone in that big house, I can't."

She is crying too as she kisses the top of his head. "I'm here, Kakashi, I'm here."

* * *

**A/N: This wasn't what I had planned, but I hope you liked it all the same, Namae-desu. Thank you for your prompt. **

**Thanks for reading and please review. (Prompts welcome!) **


	6. The Protector

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! **

**Mild spoiler warnings for this chapter. The Kakashi ANBU Arc Episode 2 was released today and I just watched it. It was fantastic, of course, and it gave me the idea for this one-shot. However, if you haven't seen it, you may not understand the context. It's nothing MAJOR, nothing that will ruin the episode for you. In fact, this 'spoiler' was released in the Kakashi ANBU Arc Episode 1, where they gave you the snippet of the next episode. Have no fear. **

**SPOILER: Minato asks ANBU Kakashi to protect a pregnant Kushina in secret. **

**That's it. No worries. **

**Anyway, how could I **_**not **_**write something about this? It directly relates to the premise of this fanfic, after all! **

**Without further ado, let us begin!**

* * *

It was quite strange to be spying on Kushina-san while she and Mikoto-san were having a girl's day out. It felt awkward and Kakashi didn't like the thought of peering through salon or shop windows. But his sensei was depending on him. And well, _Kushina-san was pregnant! _

He still couldn't believe it! He shouldn't have been surprised, of course. They were such a happily married couple. Raising a child was simply the next logical step for them. But _still. _For the longest time, Kakashi was used to being babied by Kushina. He didn't entirely appreciate her coddling him, but he would admit (if only to himself) that he didn't completely dislike it either.

To think, she'd be cooing after an _actual baby _soon. A real, pooping, crying creature of terror. Her now-flat stomach would swell until she'd have trouble walking, and then she'd look after the infant and get sleepless nights taking care of it watch it grow up to be an adult.

For one entire minute, Kakashi mused over the sudden revelation that adults came from children. That it was an entire _process. _He imagined having to babysit the little child and shuddered. He'd certainly have to find a way to worm himself out of it…

Presently, Kushina-san and Mikoto-san moved away from the clothes store they were looking at, with Kushina laughing at something her best friend had said. Kakashi followed, keeping a respectable distance. He couldn't forget that both women were skilled ninja and they'd notice something amiss. He would have to be careful.

Kakashi couldn't understand why his sensei had insisted on him watching over Kushina in secret. Why would Kushina-san have a problem with him wanting to look after her? But the Hatake didn't really think about it. Minato-sensei's mind worked in strange ways. And anyway, Kakashi didn't mind.

He was desperate to protect Kushina.

He could not—_would not—_let anything happen to her. As it were, Kakashi was aware of the fact that he was borderline suicidal since Rin's death. That was one of the reasons Minato-sensei had even promoted him to ANBU. So that the Fourth could keep an eye on him. He knew that his captain had been ordered to make sure Kakashi was doing alright. The Hatake didn't appreciate being worried over. He wasn't incapable of recovery, he was disinterested in it.

The fact was, Kakashi did not _want _to heal from Rin's death. He hated himself for it, he _loathed _himself. Despite the fact that everyone told him that it wasn't his fault, he still took the blame. Cold Blooded Kakashi wanted only to punish himself for his failings.

He was such a pathetic _waste! _He should have died in Obito's place. Obito and Rin would have grown up, fallen in love, protected each other…everyone would have been happy. But no. His best friend had given him just one task: to look after the girl he loved. And Kakashi failed at doing even that. In fact, he'd killed her himself.

He felt a weight descend upon his chest. Rin. Rin.

He had been starting to fall in love with her.

Kakashi Hatake shook his head violently to force himself back to the present. Right now, he had to look after Kushina-san. He noticed how she'd move an unconscious hand to her stomach. Would the baby be a boy or a girl, he wondered. Who would the child take after more? His sensei? Kakashi smiled under his mask, trying to imagine a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy with a serious expression and a patient demeanour. It somehow didn't seem quite right.

Next, he imagined a redhead girl with a boisterous personality, just like her mother. No, not quite right either. Perhaps a mix? A redhead with a patient bearing or perhaps a blonde with a restless—_hyperactive—_character?

…That seemed likely.

What would Kakashi's relationship be with the child? The Hatake was slightly wary of children in general, but he knew he wanted to make friends with this baby. Would they like each other? Would they play pranks on each other? (Or rather, the infant would set the traps and Kakashi would dismantle them.)

He secretly wondered if he would somehow mentor the baby. He didn't want to. Kakashi was hardly role-model material. He'd killed one of his best friends—the girl he was starting to love—with his own hand. His other best friend had died because of Kakashi's stupidity.

No way. Kakashi was _not _meant to be a teacher of any sort. If Minato-sensei even brought it up, Kakashi was going to shoot the idea down. Of that, he was certain.

Kushina-san and Mikoto-san moved onwards, and Kakashi had to slip through a sudden crowd of people to keep up. For the first time in a long time, he felt excited about something. This baby. He couldn't wait for his sensei and his wife to have their child. He couldn't wait to watch them become a family.

And he would protect them. Oh yes, Kakashi would protect them.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review! Prompts welcome! Oh, and I couldn't help adding a bit of KakaRin. It's my OTP, and judging from the ANBU Arc, he most certainly had feelings for her XD. **


	7. An Unpopular Decision

**A/N: I am sooooo sorry about the long wait. I had exams and stuff…Anyway, I'm free now! Thanks for the reviews. Here's the update. **

**This prompt is from Summoning Secrets: **_"__I'd really like to read a chapter of Kushina's thoughts and reaction to Kakashi becoming an ANBU. I can't imagine either her or Minato feeling comfortable with the idea."_

**By the way, speaking of which, the new Kakashi ANBU arc is just incredible. And the KakaRin hints in the latest episode are great.**

* * *

That night, Minato was acutely aware of the hard clatter of dishes hitting the tabletop. He winced. Kushina didn't so much as look at him as she went to get the cutlery. _CLINK-CLANG, _Minato heard from the kitchen, accompanied by a _SMASH. _

Nervously, he called out, "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Don't you worry about me," she snapped from the other room. "I'm just _fine. _Why don't you be of use and go clean the living room, you baka!"

He chuckled, hesitant. "Right. I'll do that now."

Minato hadn't expected such a reaction. Even from his temperamental wife, he'd expected something slightly more sedate. It would have been easier if she'd just exploded, but instead, she was being snippy. It was putting him on edge. If she'd just shouted and hurled something at him, he would know for sure that the outburst was over. Now, it was a waiting game.

It had been against his better judgement to make Kakashi an ANBU operative, but the Third Hokage had convinced him. Besides, Minato was really starting to worry about the boy. He figured that high-adrenaline missions with a close-knit team would get him on track again.

Kushina had _not _liked the idea.

Just as he was fluffing a couch-cushion, she stormed up to him, her cheeks red with fury and her fists balled.

"You know what pisses me off the most?" she shouted, making Minato jump.

"…What?" he asked meekly.

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN CONSULT ME. YOU JUST MADE HIM JOIN THAT SICK, TWISTED ORGANISATION WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A BY-YOUR-LEAVE! WHY?"

The newly crowned Fourth Hokage raised his hands up in defeat. "Because I knew you'd object!"

"OF COURSE I'D FREAKING OBJECT, MINATO! HE'S OUR BOY! KAKASHI MAY NOT BE OUR SON, BUT HE'S OUR BOY! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'D MAKE HIM JOIN THE ANBU!"

"Yell it out louder, why don't you? The neighbours will hear, and Kakashi's ANBU mask will be a waste…"

He didn't see it coming as her fist connected with his face and threw him across the room. Minato slammed against the opposite wall, the force of the impact making a photo-frame topple over and crack. He groaned as he got to his feet. Kushina and her punches…

She was standing above him, looking like Mother Death herself.

"How is the ANBU going to help Kakashi overcome his depression, Minato? Tell me. How?" she paused. "Maybe it's killing people. Yes, that must be it. Murder helps you get over accidentally killing your only teammate, who also happens to be the girl you have a crush on. Thank you for your wisdom, _Hokage-sama,_" she spat angrily.

"Kushina…" Minato muttered, getting a bit annoyed now.

He suddenly widened his eyes as he heard a soft, muffled sob. Kushina was standing rigidly, with her arms at her sides, her head lowered and her bangs covering her face.

"Don't you see," she said quietly, "It's only going to make him worse. He'll start doing drugs. He'll start cutting himself. Next thing you know, he's lying dead on the floor with a slit wrist and a suicide note." He heard her take a shaky breath. "ANBU agents are always messed up, Minato. Why would you do that to him?"

Minato dared to take a step towards her. Then, he took her in his arms and let her bury her head into him. Gently stroking her hair, he said, "Kushina, I'm doing this specifically to avoid a situation like that."

She didn't respond, but Minato knew she was listening.

"When I visited him in the hospital earlier this evening, he was reading a macabre novel. _How a Shinobi Should Die_, I believe it was called. Sitting around idly…it's not doing him any good. He passed out on a simple mission the other day. Gai had to come to the rescue. You know why? Because I hear he hasn't been eating. And you can see it. He's lost so much weight. He needs to be put back on the field."

"Why?" she asked him softly. "_Why?_"

"In Konoha, he's not socialising, he's not eating, he's not sleeping—I know because it's become so _obvious, _Kushina. His body is going to start reacting. With nothing to occupy his mind, he's reading those awful novels…ANBU missions will do him a world of good. _Trust me._"

"I'm so scared for him, Minato."

"I know, love, I know. I'm scared too."

They stood in each other's arms for what felt like forever, desperate for some sort of comfort. Desperate to feel that in some way, their _boy, _their _child, _would be alright again.

* * *

**A/N: Shorter and more antsy than I'd predicted, but I enjoyed writing that. I hope you like it. Thanks for reading. Please review! **

**Oh, and prompts welcome! (But let's try something more cheerful this time? :P) **


	8. Dare You to Feel

**A/N: This next prompt is from Narutoimagine01, who'd messaged me right when I began this story with an awesome list of prompts. I'd saved them as back-up in case I didn't get any for a particular chapter. Thank you SO much for the ideas. I'm sorry I couldn't use them sooner, but they're so handy when I'm stuck for what to write next! :D**

**The prompt is: **_"Truth or Dare Game". _

**This shall be sort of ObiRin with hints of KakaRin. **

**A shout-out to all my awesome reviewers. Thanks for all your encouragement. It makes a writer feel so happy. :)**

* * *

This was the stupidest thing Kushina had ever done, and that was saying something. The jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails had done all sorts of crap, most of which was hare-brained _at best_. On the plus side, Minato's little brats were acting like a team, for once. And hey, it was a good way to kill the time until he returned from his meeting with the Hokage, right?

_No, _Kushina thought, annoyed. _Stupid little brats. _

"Now put a saucepan on her head," Obito cheered on as Rin was counting down from hundred.

Kushina groaned. She was balancing a stack of plates, a bowl, more plates and a dishcloth on her head. She didn't think she could manage a saucepan as well.

"Fifty-three, fifty-two, fifty-one, fifty!" Rin said. "That's it, Kushina-san, only fifty more seconds to go!" She grinned cheekily before resuming the count-down. And while Kakashi was rolling his eyes and pretending not to be interested, Obito was looking for a saucepan.

"Obito," Kushina snapped, "I can't balance anything else. Especially not a metal saucepan, you hear?"

"You're the one who wanted to do a dare, Kushina-san," reminded Kakashi, seemingly bored, "According to the rules, you must do whatever Obito says, because it was _his _dare you decided to perform. Not the best idea, because anything that idiot can ever come up with is ridiculous. Like _this,_" and he pointed at her. Kakashi then paused for a moment, before adding, "This is a stupid game, anyway."

Honestly, Kushina wasn't listening to him. She was busy plotting her revenge. Everybody was enjoying themselves at her expense (even Kakashi. He didn't show it, but she knew he was smirking under his mask).

"Damn it! Where's that saucepan?" Obito muttered as he flung utensils around the kitchen.

"Obito!" Kushina cried.

"Forty-four, forty-three, forty-two…"

"Try looking in the cupboard behind the door," Kakashi suggested monotonously. "The last I knew, that's where she'd kept it."

"KAKASHI!"

"Hey, Bakakashi, you were right!"

"I always am, idiot."

"Thirty-nine, thirty-eight, thirty-seven…"

"Ack! Obito! The saucepan's too heavy, it's going to—ACK!"

"RIN, BE CAREFUL!"

"I _knew _this would happen!"

"Kushina-san!"

And that's when the cloth, the saucepan and the entire assortment of ceramic dishes slipped from Kushina's head and went crashing to the floor.

* * *

Kushina had said nothing to the trio as they swept the floor. She merely sat on the couch, watching them work. Luckily, nobody had been injured. Good. She was going to make them pay for this. She was going to make them suffer. From the deadly silence she was giving them, they knew not to taunt her about failing to balance the dishes until the count of one hundred. They knew better than that.

Heh. Those little fools. They were in for it.

"So…" Obito ventured, "I guess we're done with playing Truth or Dare, huh?"

"No," Kushina said quietly. "Sit."

The tone of her voice made the three of them obey.

"I will do all the asking," Kushina added. "Just spin the bottle."

Rin bit her bottom lip, but gave the blue glass bottle a spin. It rolled on its axis for a few seconds, painfully slow. It was impossible to predict exactly where it would fall. The three of them—Kakashi included—tensed up a little.

Rin and Kakashi exchanged soft sighs of relief as the bottle pointed straight at their Uchiha teammate.

Obito blanched. "Crap." Nervously looking towards the redhead, he asked, "Can...can I choose truth?"

"No," she said coolly and she studied her nails. _Perfect,_ she was thinking. She'd already decided what to do for Obito. She knew he had a massive crush on Rin, but was too shy to tell her. Now, she was going to force him to do it. She was going to put him in that heinously uncomfortable—

But wasn't that a bit mean? She sighed. Alright, so she'd settle for something less drastic. Something lighter, funnier.

"Obito, sing us a love song dedicated to Rin."

"_WHAT_?" Obito shouted as Rin went pink.

"You heard me," Kushina said, her lips curling into an evil smile. "Start singing."

"Kushina-san—"

"If Obito doesn't want to-" Rin attempted.

"**START SINGING!**"

Obito burst into song like a bird on a spring morning. It was some silly ode about the sunlight and the wind and how the whole universe was even more beautiful because of _love, love, love, _and 'the smile on her face makes the darkness disappear' and 'the stars in the sky pale before her bright eyes'. Badly sung, an irritating tune and mundane, clichéd lyrics, but though initially Kakashi was snickering, the Hatake had fallen silent.

It was because of the _way _Obito sang it. It seemed so…genuine. And though he was blushing like a plum, he kept his eyes locked into Rin's. The girl, meanwhile, was a deep shade of beetroot. She kept trying to look anywhere but at Obito, occasionally glancing at the floor, at Kushina, at the walls, _anywhere _but at the young Uchiha.

When the song finally ended, Obito was still gazing at Rin and held her stare for three extra seconds. Then he abruptly turned a violent shade of maroon and his eyes went right to his feet. Rin was blushing just as deeply.

Kushina cackled. "That was adorable, you guys!"

"Mm…" Obito mumbled, curling into a ball and rocking back and forth.

Rin inched closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, that was really sweet," she said with a smile.

Obito's head shot up, his eyes twinkling. "Really? Thanks!"

Rin smiled back.

Kushina saw Kakashi scoff and roll his eyes. But when she glanced at him, when she really _looked, _she was sure she could make out some form of simple sadness within his charcoal irises. She watched with interest as the Hatake looked away, poking his toenails with his palms in an apparent effort to distract himself.

Huh. For the first time, Kushina wondered if there was something Kakashi wasn't letting on.

Glancing back at Obito and Rin, who were chatting to each other in hushed tones, the jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails nodded slightly to herself. Something indeed.

Affection.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review. Prompts welcome :D **


	9. Eye of Blood

**A/N: Wow, guys! Sixty reviews for eight chapters? That's huge. Thank you soooo much. Shall we try to keep this pace up until I get 100 reviews? :) And to steal an incentive idea from an awesome writer known as **_**That One **__**Eccedentesiast**_**, every twentieth reviewer shall get a new one-shot on any Naruto-related topic of their choice as a prize. It would be so incredible if you all helped me reach 100 reviews. Never have I been able to get that! :) **

**Anyway, enough shameless review-begging xD. **

**Namae-desu: Thanks again for the wonderful review. I'm so happy you liked it. You've given some excellent prompts. I'm going to work on them eventually, but for now, I want to cut down on the KakaRin, because not everybody follows that pairing and I want to be fair to them as well. About Gai or Kushina collaborating to get Kakashi to lighten up, I thought that was brilliant. Since I couldn't think of anything for it right now, I've decided to store that away as back-up. Thanks!**

**The idea for this chapter has been sitting around in my mind for almost a year. Since there was a lack of prompts, I decided I might as well write this down.**

* * *

It was a spar worth witnessing. Between them, it always was.

Kushina's incredible chakra reserves and expert sealing abilities were just the perfect match for the Sharingan. Mikoto's speed and talent in genjutsu meant that the two women's attacks tended to counter each other. Her red pinwheel eyes could copy Kushina's techniques effortlessly, making any spar between them a tense battle. The two women had been best friends since their earliest days in the Academy. Mikoto's quiet, level-headed personality complimented Kushina's boisterous demeanour well, making them an excellent team on and off the battlefield.

"Wind Style: Tornado Attack Jutsu!" Kushina shouted as the air around Mikoto began twisting into the dreaded force of nature. The Uchiha didn't seem fazed. With quick hand gestures, a large peak tore out of the earth, stabbing Kushina's jutsu right at its heart, dispelling it.

"Damn!" the redhead snapped, settling for taijutsu next. Mikoto matched her skill easily, meeting each one of Kushina's blows unconcerned. Kushina watched her friend smile to herself. Since Itachi's birth, she'd retired as a full-time shinobi. She'd always told Kushina that she'd never wanted to be a ninja—but she was an Uchiha. For them, being a special Jonin was an age-old tradition she couldn't just ignore. But her first-born had given Mikoto the perfect excuse to retire.

Still, now that Itachi himself was at the Academy, there was nobody to talk to at home. She would get bored. It was on days like these that the occasional spar with her best friend made Mikoto feel a lot better.

They battled for another twenty minutes, alternating between taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu. By the end of it, there was no clear winner, but both of them were out of breath and exhilarated. Mikoto was bent over, gasping and laughing. "You lose," she taunted her best friend.

"Rubbish. You were totally thrown off your feet in my last attack."

"Yeah, but my genjutsu got the better of you."

"Did not!"

"It did, Kushina," Mikoto teased. "This is the _Sharingan _we're talking about."

Kushina opened her mouth to argue, but then she suddenly closed it, her eyes turning thoughtful. "Sharingan," she repeated simply. Suddenly, she added, "Actually, Mikoto, I wanted to talk to you about that."

* * *

_Kushina sat on the grass, watching her two boys fight. Rin sat beside her, catching her breath. The students were having a training session with Minato. In fact, it was the first since Obito's death. Kakashi had been released from hospital only a week ago. Rin kept fussing about how he ought to eat more, rest more. The Sharingan had been greedily drinking his chakra away. The worst thing was, Kakashi had no clue how to use it. _

_The jinchuuriki watched Minato and Kakashi spar, studying the Hatake's taijutsu. Minato was wiping the floor with him, and it was taking all of Kakashi's resolve to stay in the fight. His distance perception was also off. The covered Sharingan was no help either. _

"_Damn it!" the Hatake shouted suddenly, narrowly avoiding Minato's punch. His movements were slower than usual, and he was frustrated. Before his sensei could stop him, Kakashi jumped back and pulled his headband up, revealing the blood-red eye. _

_Kushina gasped a little. It looked so strange on him. She'd always seen him with his two charcoal eyes, intense and cold. The lone Sharingan looked positively evil. It made Kakashi look sinister in a way that he wasn't. _

"_I know what you mean," Rin said from beside her. _

_Kushina didn't respond, staring at Kakashi, agape. _

_Even Minato paused. "Kakashi, be careful. You don't know how that thing works yet." _

_The silver-haired jonin grunted in response as he charged. Almost cautiously, Minato countered his attack. _

_Something happened. Maybe Kakashi used the Sharingan incorrectly. Kushina had no idea. But as Kakashi swung out of the way to avoid his sensei's punch, he just lost his balance and fell sideways, crying out in pain as he went down. _

"_Kakashi!" the redhead cried as she and Rin tore across the field towards him. Minato was already cradling the boy's head on his lap, while trying to gently slap him awake. _

_He didn't regain consciousness until five minutes later._

* * *

Mikoto listened quietly as they walked to their favourite dumpling store. And when Kushina was finally done talking, the Uchiha was silent for another two minutes. Finally, she said, "You want me to train him?"

"If you can…"

The dark-haired woman stopped in mid-step and gave the jinchuuriki an incredulous look. "You're joking, right?"

"Why on earth would I _joke _about something like this!?" the redhead angrily snapped. "You're bored at home anyway, and you've been out of active duty for too long to just resume the life of a ninja. Kakashi needs someone to help him with the Sharingan, and who better than you?"

Mikoto gave an empty, sarcastic laugh. "Fugaku would kill me," she retorted. "A non-Uchiha isn't even supposed to have that eye, Kushina! To think that Obito would just give it away like that…more surprisingly, that Kakashi isn't already dead. Do you know how chakra-hungry a Sharingan is? Uchiha bodies have evolved to compliment that. It's the reason why we can use the eyes for long periods of time without suffering from exhaustion. Besides, I needn't have to tell you just how upset the entire family is that a non-Uchiha, a _Hatake,_ no less, has obtained a Sharingan." Before Kushina could shout back, Mikoto calmly added, "I have nothing against Kakashi. I've met him. He's a good boy. But the clan elders…they still haven't forgiven Sakumo. And damn it, Kushina, they hate Kakashi. If it weren't for the Hokage's orders, they'd have pounced on him before he even got out of hospital!"

Kushina's eyes widened in disgust. "Mikoto…"

"A Hatake having the Sharingan? It's a disaster for the Uchihas. I cannot betray my family. Besides, I wouldn't even be allowed. Fugaku would throw a fit."

"Why do you care what he thinks?!" Kushina shouted.

"Because he's my husband, perhaps? Wouldn't you care what Minato thinks, Kushina? We didn't have an idyllic romance like you and Minato. Our marriage was arranged. And maybe we don't love each other like you and Minato, but we still respect each other. And I respect his point of view."

"What—"

Suddenly, anger flashed within Mikoto's otherwise calm eyes. "It's easy for you to say things like that, Kushina. But you don't know the kind of obligations I have. You know how conservative the elders are? Fugaku too? So what if I'm Lady Uchiha of the main branch of the family? It doesn't matter. The traditions always come first. I can't change that." The dark-haired woman's eyes filled with tears. "I wish I could help him, but I just can't."

Mikoto turned to walk away, unable to even look at the redhead.

Kushina grabbed her arm.

"Wait."

Mikoto almost ignored her, but then changed her mind in the last second. Without turning around, she said, "What?"

"Please look at me." There was a tremor to her tone. It was so unlike Kushina that Mikoto obeyed, her eyes widening in surprise to find her best friend on the verge of tears.

"Kushina…"

"Mikoto, I'm appealing to your humanity. No, more. I'm appealing to your maternal instinct. You have it in spades. You're such a wonderful caregiver, Mikoto. And Kakashi…he needs you. If somebody doesn't teach him how to use that thing, it's going to seriously hamper his development. If it keeps draining his chakra like that, I don't know how long he'll last as a shinobi. Train him. Please, please train him."

* * *

"I shouldn't even be here," Mikoto said quietly. An owl hooted in the distance. There was no moon tonight.

"Thank you, Mikoto-san," Kakashi replied softly. "I know the Uchihas don't really like me at the moment…"

"They don't," she agreed uncomfortably, "They don't even know I'm here." With a pause, she added, "And thank your Kushina-san. She's the one who convinced me. She really cares for you, you know."

He lowered his eyes.

"Okay," Mikoto said, her tone becoming businesslike. "Activate your Sharingan. Let's begin."

* * *

**A/N: Guys, I really need prompts. Anything works, but I haven't been getting too many and I'm running out of ideas. **

**Also, do tell me if you want to see more KakaRin or not. This story isn't related to that pairing at all. I only add it in because it's my OTP. But I don't know if all my readers are okay with that. Let me know. **

**Please help me reach my goal of 100 reviews. Every 20****th**** reviewer can suggest any one-shot idea of their choice in the Naruto fandom, and I'll write it down for them as a prize. **

**Thank you so much. **


	10. The Interrogation

**A/N: Hello! Thank you for the reviews and the excellent prompts. Since two reviewers have asked for more or less the same thing, I'll be writing their prompts today. **

**These are the reviewers and this is what they'd asked for: **

**That One Eccedentesiast: **_"__the first time [Kushina] meets Kakashi as Minato's student."_

**Summoning Secrets: **_"__How did Kakashi and Kushina first meet? (through Minato or by some other way)."_

**For the sake of this chapter, let's assume that Ichiraku Ramen was open when Kakashi was a little boy. In the Naruto movie titled "The Lost Tower", they've depicted that Ichiraku's opened when Kakashi was much older than 5, but since the movie has no sign of Obito and Rin, and since Kakashi's still a jerk, I'm going to assume the scene took place before Kakashi got his team, but after his father died (or while his father was in depression). **

**Without further ado, let us begin!**

* * *

It was like introducing his son to his girlfriend, except that Kakashi wasn't his son, but his student. His tiny, five-year-old student. Minato had become his sensei only a few days ago, but it wasn't difficult to adore Kakashi to bits.

The little genin was just so…_little. _

Dressed in neatly ironed clothes, wearing the tiniest pair of ninja gloves Minato had ever seen, Kakashi walked around with intelligent black eyes and a ceaseless waterfall of questions. The genin wanted to know _everything. _Scratching his shock of silver hair in a thoughtful way, the child asked, "So is it _impi-rative_ to have a fully-stocked pouch, even when you aren't on a mission? Otousan said that it's _impi-rative, _because you never know when you might get attacked."

"_Impe-rative," _Minato corrected with a smile. "Imperative. And yes, it's best to keep a fully-stocked pouch. Would you like some ramen while we're waiting?"

"Imperative," Kakashi repeated before launching into another query. He either hadn't heard, or was ignoring, Minato's question. "I was reading in a book about chakra natures and these special papers which can show you what chakra nature you have. How does it work? Can I find out my chakra nature? I already know all the basic jutsus, sensei, and I think it would help with the more advanced techniques if I learn something that can augment my chakra nature."

Minato bit back a laugh and looked at Teuchi. "Two bowls of miso ramen with pork, please."

"Right away, Minato-san!"

Looking back to Kakashi, the yellow-haired jonin said, "Chakra nature theory is a bit advanced for your level. Right now, we'll focus on strengthening what you already know. Your basics have to be perfect."

"But my basics _are _perfect, Minato-sensei!" Kakashi's proclamation sounded more like a whine. "I never miss a target with my kunai or shuriken, I know the henge and the escape jutsu, and I've even been practicing genjutsu! And I'm good at taijutsu as well! Otousan says I'm a _progidy_!"

"I'm sure he meant _prodigy. _And yes, you are a prodigy, but that's exactly why you have to work extra hard. If you don't always try and improve your skills, you'll become narcissistic. You know what narcissistic means, Kakashi?"

"It means big-headed," Kakashi sulked.

"Yes, something like that. Good ninja mustn't be narcissistic. You have to practice your basics."

Kakashi gave his sensei a reproachful look before turning away. Once more, Minato felt like snorting in laughter. For all his bravado, the little Hatake was just adorable. The Namikaze wanted to hug him for his cuteness, but figured that Kakashi wouldn't enjoy the experience.

"So," Minato said cheerfully, "Do you know who we're meeting today?"

Kakashi glanced up at his teacher. "She's your friend, right, sensei?"

Minato turned an easy shade of pink. "Well, yes. Sort of."

"Sort of?" For such a young child, Kakashi was extraordinarily perceptive. He gave Minato a side-long glance, with one eyebrow raised. For no apparent reason, the Namikaze felt a little nervous.

"Yes…Actually, she's my girlfriend."

Kakashi's eyes widened, but he offered no other indication of his surprise. Instead, he calmly asked, "Your girlfriend, sensei? Wow."

"Wow what?" Minato cried, crossing his arms in indignation.

"I never thought you would have a girlfriend."

"Thanks, Kakashi," Minato replied in his driest tone.

"You're welcome." The Hatake helped himself to the ramen bowl in front of him, before glancing up in understanding. "Oh, you were being sarcastic."

"Yes, I was."

"So, your girlfriend, huh? Do you, like, kiss and stuff?"

Minato almost choked on his food. "What?"

Kakashi blinked at him, expectant.

"…Yes, Kakashi."

"Ew, that's gross!"

And just as Minato was rolling his eyes, he heard a loud, bright voice coming up from behind him.

"What's gross and where is it!?" the woman shouted in what seemed to be an expression of actual glee.

Kakashi stared at her for a whole minute. She was really pretty, with purple-blue eyes and _long, long, long _red hair. Her voice reminded him the banging of gongs or bells as they rang. Sliding between him and Minato, she gave Kakashi a cheeky grin, crying, "Hello!" in what was perhaps the most cheerful greeting he had ever received.

"…Hello," the Hatake replied hesitantly. He was uncertain of how to react, of what to make of her.

She stuck her hand out to shake. "My name is Kushina Uzumaki. You must be Kakashi."

The silver-haired genin sat shell-shocked for a moment. "Hey, you're the _jingiruki_!"

"Kakashi!" Minato yelped, turning an alarming shade of white. He looked genuinely afraid of this woman. For a split second, the Hatake wondered if he'd done something wrong. Maybe this Kushina wasn't his girlfriend—darn it, Minato-sensei hadn't introduced her that way! She'd just pounced on them! So if she was the container of the Nine Tails, was she an enemy? But her headband indicated that she was from the Hidden Leaf, so she couldn't be. But why was his sensei so scared? Something was wrong. They were in serious dange—

"No, it's alright, Minato." Kushina beamed at Kakashi. "It's _jin-chu-riki, _by the way, and yes, I'm the Fox Lady!" she laughed at her own un-funny joke. "Kakashi Hatake, right? You didn't answer, dattebane!"

"Y-Yes, Kakashi," the child stammered, finally shaking her hand. "I'm Minato-sensei's student. Are you his girlfriend?" From the corner of his eyes, he saw Minato's head sink into his hands, his ears turning pink in embarrassment.

She laughed. "Girlfriend, comrade, jailer, blah-blah-blah. He speaks highly of you. Insisted I meet you. And I'm impressed. How does a five-year-old recognise me to be the Nine Tail's container?"

"I…I read about the Uzumaki clan," Kakashi replied shyly.

"Wow. You're smart, aren't you?"

"A pro-_di-gy,_" Kakashi bragged.

"So I've heard." Suddenly noticing their bowls, she said, "You guys are actually having ramen without me? I don't believe it!" Jumping up and waving her hands in the air in large, frantic gestures, she cried, "Teuchi-san! Teuchi-san! How about some ramen over here? I'll have whatever these guys are having."

"You got it, Kushina-san!"

"Thank you!"

Bouncing back down to her seat, grinning at the other two. Affectionately ruffling Minato's hair, she turned right back to Kakashi. It was like she'd barely noticed her boyfriend, and it seemed like Minato was more than used to her explosive personality.

It was Kakashi who spoke up first.

"Kushina-san, are you an elite-jonin like Minato-sensei?"

"I'm elite-er than he is, actually."

Kakashi smirked, shot a glance at his sheepishly smiling teacher before his eyes went back to Kushina. "Can I ask what the Kyuubi looks like? I've seen pictures of it in books, but they're not very good. And they don't have any colour!"

Kushina narrowed her eyes and gave a furtive glance to the blonde man beside her. He shrugged. "Kakashi's inquisitive."

With a long-suffering sigh, the redhead turned to the child. "The Kyuubi. It's reddish-orange. Like the colour of rust."

"Is it friendly?"

The question made Kushina pause for a moment. Finally, she replied, "Well…I'll put it this way: it's moody."

"Oh." For some reason, this put Kakashi in profound thought and he was silent for several minutes.

"What?" she questioned.

"Thinking."

"…Alright…"

"Kushina-san, do you like sugar?"

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?"

"I don't," Kakashi replied severely. "Otousan says shinobi mustn't have anything unhealthy, like sugar." With a smug look, he added, "Otousan's famous. They call him the White Fang."

"I know that! And hey, a little sugar now and then is alright. Especially on missions when you're low on energy, ya know? Sugar can save lives, dattebane!"

"What's your favourite colour?"

The abrupt change of conversation made her widen her eyes and Kushina glanced at Minato. He just shrugged. Turning back to Kakashi, the woman replied, "Red."

"Favourite food?"

"I'll eat anything."

"Favourite animal?"

"Foxes, of course!"

"What about your favourite jutsu?"

"I'm excellent with seals, you know. I love them."

Kakashi glanced up at her, interested.

"Your sensei learned all of his seals from me, actually."

Now, Kakashi glanced at his lemon-haired teacher, who nodded and grinned.

"I see," the little Hatake said with quiet heaviness. It looked very cute; a five-year-old pretending to be an adult. "Least favourite colour?"

"Brown."

"Least favourite food?"

"I told you, I'll eat anything. Why are you asking all these funny questions?"

"Least favourite animal?"

"Rats!"

"Least favourite jutsu?"

"Any of the Yamanaka jutsus. I know they're really useful and all, but the idea of someone being able to invade your mind is really uncomfortable, dattebane!"

"Very well." Kakashi looked at her with an extremely flat expression. "Thank you for answering my questions," he added, his tone grave.

"…No problem…?"

* * *

The next day, Minato asked him about the odd interrogation session between his student and his girlfriend.

Kakashi calmly replied, "Just making sure she was good for you."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what's your verdict?"

Without warning, the child smiled a sunny, toothy grin. Giving his sensei a thumbs-up, he cheerfully yipped, "I like her!"

* * *

**A/N: Quite possibly the longest chapter yet. That was so much fun to write! Kid!Kakashi is so cute, I swear I just want to hug him to pieces :3**

**I hope everyone was in character. ****Ooh, and by the way, with this, we've finished chapter ten! What a milestone! Yay! :D**

**A couple of reminders: **

**NUMBER ONE: Prompts welcome!**

**NUMBER TWO: Please help me reach my goal of 100 reviews. Every 20****th**** reviewer will get a Naruto one-shot of any topic of their choice. **

**That's all, folks! Tell me what you think. **

**Until the next chapter…bye! **


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